In 2022, Ford claimed the Guinness World Record for the most downhill on a bike in 24 hours, clocking up 41,900 metres in just under 19 hours, which equated to 100 laps.
Early next year, she’s going back to break that record while aiming to also raise $50,000 for Te Tapu o Tane’s ‘Project Tohu’, the largest indigenous reforestation project ever undertaken in the Whakatipu.
Ford, who’s originally from Tasmania, Australia, says once she broke the record she stopped because it was "pouring down with rain" and unsafe to continue.
"But there are still five hours I didn’t do, so I know the real world record can be a lot higher.
"So, not only personally do I want to set a really good bloody number on the board and see what I’m actually capable of, why not utilise the momentum and all of the learnings from the first time around to bring as much fundraising to the same location to do regeneration of Coronet Peak?"
Noting it’ll be the biggest fundraiser she’s ever attempted - in every sense - Ford aims to hit 50,000m of descent within 24 hours.
Launching the associated fundraiser on Monday, by yesterday she’d raised more $3000 through the ‘Redo for Reforestation: Downhill Guinness World Record’ on Givealittle.
The environmental activist, who’s recently been appointed CEO of Tahuna Ride and Conservation, is no stranger to feats of endurance while also raising funds, or awareness, for climate action.
Before settling in Queenstown, she rode from Cape Reinga to Bluff, towing her surfboard; last year she rode the length of Australia, from Tasmania to Queensland, in about 60 days; and earlier this year biked from Mexico to Canada in 44 days.
Her next mission is focused on "my new home".
"Coronet is my favourite place on the planet ... so to be able to do a world record there, to be able to give back to the maunga, is the ultimate."
She also knows exactly what she’s in for.
After the 2022 mission, her hands were so swollen she couldn’t close them for three days, and she couldn’t walk down stairs for a week.
But provided "everything goes right", and she’s able to maintain her pace the entire time, she’s confident she can reach her 50,000m goal.
Ford’s planning to either knock the record off towards the end of January, or during the first week of February, and will be enlisting the Queenstown community to help.
Included will be Te Tapu o Tane pou turaka (CEO) Jana Davis, who’ll do a few laps with Ford, but won’t sleep on the day as long as she’s biking.
He says the charitable trust’s "thrilled" to be the beneficiary of her latest fundraising effort.
"Project Tohu is all about raising the voice of indigenous biodiversity in our headwaters and returning the dawn chorus to the Whakatipu Basin.
"The bit for me is it’s about understanding the landscape change in the Basin - where have we come from, where are we at now, and where do we want to go?
"These are the types of projects that really help lift the voice of the whenua, and lift the voice of the indigenous species, the trees, birds, insects, all of those types of things.
"Annie’s work is really about building the voice around this, and really getting the community pumped about recloaking the mountains up here."
• To donate to Ford’s fundraiser, visit shorturl.at/9j2CL
